News

Ironman 70.3 UK Preview

Tomorrow’s Ironman 70.3 event in Wimbleball promises to be an exciting race. Last year’s champion, Bella Bayliss, who isn’t racing this year because she and husband Stephen are expecting their first child later this summer, provided some insight on the top competitors.

We are hoping to have some updates and live timing from the race in Wimbleball, but that is dependent on being able to get an internet connection – the race site is very remote.

Women

Emma-Kate Lidbury (UK) - Third at 70.3 UK 2010, she followed that up with a tenth place finish at the Ironman World Championship 70.3. So far this year she’s finished 10th at the Abu Dabi International Triathlon. Won Ironman 70.3 Mallorca and recently came sixth at Ironman 70.3 Switzerland.

Samantha Warriner (NZ) – This is Warriner’s first time competing at Ironman 70.3 UK. Last year Warriner took the Ironman 70.3 titles in New Orleans, Racine and Eagleman – in 2009 she won the 70.3 titles at Geelong and Steelhead. Earlier this year Warriner became one of three woman to have won both a world cup – she has won eight world cup races, including finishing as the 2008 ITU Overall Champion – and an Ironman when she took the 2011 Ironman New Zealand title.

Tamsin Lewis (UK) - Last year’s runner-up at Ironman 70.3 UK, Lewis might not make it to the start thanks to a broken collar bone she sustained at Ironman 70.3 Switzerland.

Amanda Balding (Australia) – Balding might be racing with her new last name – she and Luke McKenzie got married in Kona last year. It’s her first time to Ironman 70.3 UK. She has several top-10 70.3 results world-wide.

Yvette Grice (UK) - Last year’s fourth place finisher, Grice went on to win Ironman UK a few weeks later.

Emma Ruth Smith (UK) - An age group winner in 2009, Smith is competing as a pro at Ironman 70.3 UK for the first time. Mainly known for her Xterra success (she was ninth pro at the Xterra World Championship) Smith is rapidly improving as a pro with Team TBB and came fifth at Ironman Lanzarote in May.

Meike Krebs (Germany) - This is her first time to Ironman 70.3 UK. Krebs finished sixth at Ironman South Africa and eighth at the Frankfurter Sparkasse Ironman European Champioship in 2010.

Lucy Gossage (UK) - After winning her age group at Ironman Switzerland and other races in the UK, Gossage is now racing as a pro.

Jo Carritt (UK) - Carritt is another new pro (she’s turned pro just over a year ago) who finished fifth at Ironman 70.3 UK and third at Ironman UK last year. She was seventh in Lanzarote in May.

Men

Philip Graves (UK): Since the 2007, 2008 and 2010 champion, Fraser Cartmell (UK) isn’t back to defend his title, Graves returns as the most recent winner of the race – he won in 2009. Graves was the runner up last year and won Ironman UK in 2009.

Stephen Bayliss (UK) - With four top-10 results at Ironman 70.3 UK (6th in 2010, 2nd in 2009, 2nd in 2008, 4th in 2007), the 2008 Ironman UK Champion would love to take the title in Wimbleball.

Martin Jenson (Denmark) - Jenson was 18th at the Ford Ironman World Championship last year and is competing for the first time at Ironman 70.3 UK.

Scott Neyedli (Scotland) - The winner of Ironman UK in 2007 (he was runner up the following year), Neyedli finished seventh at Ironman 70.3 UK in 2007.

Nick Saunders (UK) - Sixth at Ironman 70.3 UK 2007 and fourth in 2008. Other top ten finishes include a fourth at Ford at Ironman Florida in 2009 and fifth at Ironman UK 2008.